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AFM Magazine


Your Take – The New-Age of the Agent and the Tactics They Employ

by: Ralph Harris
Head Coach, East Texas Baptist Universit
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Over the past year, the NCAA’s agents, gambling and amateurism staff has begun to address the issue of the new-age agent. The new-age agent will not be wearing a suit, he will not be a recognizable face, and he won’t wait for an school’s “agent day” to try and contact student-athletes. Agents of the past presented themselves as executives who established relationships and gained clients by any and all means. Today, some examples of the new faces of “agents” include another student, a former student-athlete, or a high school friend of a student-athlete who is trying to become a player in the agent game. These individuals receive compensation for helping land clients for other well-known agents and are promised compensation. However, in doing so, unfortunately they may cost college student-athletes one or more Saturdays in the fall.
  

  Today, an agent isn’t just those who promise to represent student-athletes in future negotiations with NFL clubs,  but it’s those who promise to help them invest money, market their “personal brand” and help them gain endorsements outside of football. These individuals will try and impress student-athletes by securing them high value disability insurance policies to protect them during their season and then continue to contact the student-athlete after the disability insurance is secured. None of the athletic regulatory bodies oversee these individuals. They do not fall within the professional players associations regulation of agents. And there is much debate about whether or not they have to even  register with a state as an agent.
   

Two other specific groups have started to contact student-athletes and develop relationships with them. First, there is the group who refer to themselves as sports memorabilia collectors. These individuals contact student-athletes about exclusive merchandise they want to purchase from them. This includes special game-worn jerseys, autographed helmets and other exclusive merchandise the collectors feel they can sell for a profit. These individuals will contact student-athletes through social media networks or try and seek them out in the parking lot after games. The sale of such items, however, may fall within the NCAA legislation on preferential treatment and depending on the amount the student-athlete receives from the sale, it could have a significant impact on the availability of that student-athlete for the upcoming season in college.
 

   In addition to sports merchandise collectors, jewelers will try and contact student-athletes. These individuals will provide them sample merchandise including diamond earrings, watches and other valuable pieces in order to secure future clients. Typically, student-athletes see these as free items which they just received from an individual or they believe that one of their former teammates who is now playing in the NFL paid for the item. In either scenario, this again may be considered preferential treatment under NCAA rules and could affect a student-athlete’s eligibility in college.
  

  Another problem area is the use of current NFL players and former high school or college teammates to secure the commitment of an NCAA student-athlete. Agents will provide their current clients discounted fees if the former teammate helps them secure the commitment of the current student-athlete. Some common tactics include the former teammate inviting the student-athlete out to train with them at exclusive training facilities. While they are at these facilities, the agents will observe the student-athlete train with individuals who specialize in preparing players for the NFL draft. After this evaluation is complete, they will discuss with the trainer the likelihood of the student-athlete becoming a high draft pick. However, in conjunction with these training sessions, the student-athlete will typically have received free or discounted airfare to the location, free lodging and meals at the location and specialized training at the facilities.
  

  The other use of NFL players involves lavish parties in resort locations. Agents will ask their NFL clients to invite former teammates to resort locations for holidays and special events. The agents will bring in all their clients to take part in these events to show each student-athlete exactly who is part of their clientele to entice them into signing with the agency. While on these trips, the student-athlete will be provided VIP access to pool parties, clubs and other exclusive venues.
  

  Another issue that the staff has been tracking in the past few years is the involvement of assistant coaches and strength and conditioning coaches with NFL agents. This can become especially true with collegiate assistant coaches who aspire to be head coaches. These agents will advise them they can help the assistant coach get that all-important first head coaching job if the assistant coach helps them gain access to his players.
   

Finally, another disturbing trend that we’ve seen is collegiate strength and conditioning coaches who charge agents to watch student-athletes work out in the spring. This relationship provides the strength and conditioning coaches with supplemental income, but can also lead to positions as private trainers for players preparing for the draft. These workouts can cost anywhere from $15,000 to $30,000 for the three months of preparation between the end of a student-athletes final season to the April draft. This can become an enticing option for institutional strength coaches.
 

   As you prepare your student-athletes for collegiate athletics, we want to make you aware of some of the newest trends we have observed over the past year. The problem with unscrupulous agents is not going away. It is just changing, and we need to make sure that we are all tracking on the issues in order to help out student-athletes maintain their eligibility and provide them with the best possible experience. 

Rachel Newman Baker is the Director of Agent, Gambling and Amateurism Activities, a position she has held since April, 2005. She is a former basketball student-athlete at Berea College where she earned a bachelor’s degree. She received her masters degree from Ohio State while working in the athletics compliance office and can be reached at 317-917-6866 or rnewman@ncaa.org.






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